Cuba Gooding Jr. Hit With New Charges For Alleged Midtown Grope

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Manhattan prosecutors hit actor Cuba Gooding Jr. with two additional charges of forcible touching and sexual abuse Thursday related to an alleged Sept. 2018 groping at a Midtown nightclub.

The "Jerry Maguire" star is now facing six counts related to three groping accusations in New York City, prosectuors said Thursday. The newly-reported incident occurred on Sept. 9 at Lavo, an Italian restaurant and nightclub on East 58th Street near Madison Avenue.

Gooding turned himself into police in June after he was accused of groping a woman's breast at Midtown's Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge while she took a photo with the actor. Since the arrest, prosecutors revealed that dozens of women in numerous states have accused Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct.

The actor was accused of groping and sexually harassing women in five states from 2001 to August of last year, according to an October court filing. Gooding touched women's breasts and buttocks, bit their shoulders and told one to "sit on my face (and) pee in my mouth," prosecutors said.

The bevy of new accusations largely took place at bars, restaurants and hotels in California, New York, Las Vegas, New Mexico and Texas, according to Assistant District Attorney Jenna Long's court filing outlining the incidents.

Gooding Jr.'s defense team reportedly has two witnesses who say the touching never happened. A lawyer representing the star told the Associated Press earlier this month that he's "absolutely dumbfounded," by the allegations.

Patch's Noah Manskar contributed to this report.